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1483-1487

Bosworth, Stoke, Blackheath and Exeter

Edward IV died in April 1483 when his son and heir, Edward V, was only twelve. Inevitably rival factions immediately emerged—the boy king and die court controlled by the queen mother and her relations, and Edward’s favourites Lord Hastings and Thomas Lord Stanley, opposcd by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, now the most powerful man in the kingdom, whom Edward IV had intendcd should be regent.

Richard acted swiftly. Moving south, he joined forces with Henry StafTord, Duke of Buckingham, and seized Edward V en route to London in the care of Lord Rivcrs, the queen mother’s brother. Her son, Dorset, at once ficd the country, while the queen mother sought sanctuary in Westminster Abbey. Within a month of Edward IV’s death, Richard was Protector of the Realm.

In June Hastings was suddenly arrested and executed. Two weeks later Richard informed Parliament that Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was imalid duc to an earlier marriage, and therefore Edward V was a bastard—wliich lcft Richard the rightful successor. Richard became Richard III, Lord Rivers was executed, and Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, were placed in the Tower.

That autumn there was a revolt in the West Country, led by Buckingham, apparently in

The completely self-contained keep of Warkworth Castle, which could be defended for months even if the rest of the castle fell. The castle was held by the Percy family (notę lion sculpture) from 1332; the keep was built c.1400. (Athena Picture Library)

conspiracy with the cxiled Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and now licad of the House of Lancaster. (Henry could claim the throne, in right of his mother, Margarct Beaufort, as surviving małe representative of the House of Lancaster, the Beauforts being dcsccnded from John of Gaunt.) Buckingham was supportcd by the Woodvilles and Courtenays. The revolt was quickly and efficiently crushed by Richard, and Buckingham was exec-uted. Henry Tudor withdrew to France, but in 1485, with about 3,000 French mercenaries, he landed in Pcmbrokeshirc, where his uncle Jasper was earl. He marched quickly through Wales and the Marchcs, picking up considerable support on the way, and confrontcd Richard in battle for the throne at Bosworth in Leicestershire on 22 August 1485.

The two main forces drew up facing each other (see Map 1/) but both Henry Tudor and Richard III looked anxiously for support from the forces of the two brothers Stanley: those of Sir Willaim Stanley were visiblc to the north-west of the battlefield, and those of Lord Stanley to the south-east.

The battle commenced without the Stanleys, the opposing forces both making a bid for Ambien Hill. Richard’s troops reachcd the ridge first, and his ‘vaward battle’ deployed on it in a defensive position. The ‘maili battle’ followed, while the ‘rearward battle’ was ordercd to take position on the left ofthis linę as soon as possible, and to face due south.

Henry advanced to engage in an archery duel at long rangę, and Richard looked in vain for his ‘rearward battle’: the Earl of Northumberland had decided to avoid action until the Stanleys showed their hands.

As the archers began to run out ofarrows, the two armies advanced to melee, and only now did the Stanleys move—to attack both Banks of Richard’s linę, while Northumberland remained immobile. Richard mounted, collected his bodyguard around him, and rode into the centre of the enemy, intent on killing Henry Tudor or dying like a king. Unhorsed in the marsh, Richard was soon overwhelmed by superior numbers and killed. The battle ceased when his death became known, and his army melted away with little or no pursuit. Lord Stanley took the circlet indicating Richard's rank

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